The Portland daily press., 1887-12-09
COMBATING SOCIAL EVIL.
Proceedings of the Second Day Of
the Evangelical Conference.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Sat the opening OF
the second morning session of the confer
ence which is being held under the auspices
of the Evangelical Alliance for the United
States, nearly every seat in the First Congre-
gational church was occupied. After deyo-
tional exercises, the presiding officer, Justice
Harlan of the United States Supreme Court,
introduced Rev. S. w. Dyke, of Auburndale,
Mass, who read paper on "Perils to the
Family"
In the course of his paper Mr.. Dyke said
that the American family is mot strong
enough for the strain upon it from our social
condition. Perils threaten in three particu-
lars. First, as a social production our fail
ures with the family are dangerously numer-
GUS. In some states five, ten or twelve per
centum of the families formed annually suf-
fer dissolution in the courts. Fatal troubles
increase this number. Unchastity corrupts
many families and criminal practices render
others unfruitful, leaving the lower classes
to repleniSh population. Probably all these
evils are on the increase. Divorces certainly
are. No Christian country, he said, takes
greater risks from loose marriage and d.
vorce laws than the United States. Secondly,
the fundamental place of the family in soci-
ETY. gives grave significance to these perils.
athar sosa ass lss is sas germ living
tissue. Weakness here is most dangerous.
Thirdly, disuse of the family has left it
weak. Men act in three leading social forms
lin families, local assemblies and represen-
tative bodies. That society is healthy which
keeps all three proportonately vigorous.
But our religious, educational, philanthropic
and even political and industrial activities,
violate this principal in repressing the taml-
ly Collective forms, he said, are the fash
ion, especially in religion. These are un-
sound socialogically, in scattered popula-
tions and fall among the poor in cities.
Social regeneration, like social growth,
must build on the family. We close the. sa-
loon in vain unless we purify the homes that
feed. Another danger is that we have. not
studied and improved the family as we have
churches and schools. The paper urges the
Alliance to secure closer fellowship between
scholars in the social science and the clergy,
whereby the latter could get the benefits of
the new mat erial and better methods Of the
former.
Col. J. L. Green, of Hartford, Ct. then
read a paper on ''The Social Vice." He said
recognized the family as foe and seeks to
corrupt ond weaken it. The reproduction
of human life is the highest function of
which shuman .beings are capable. I'M
purity is a subtle poison, insinuating it
self everywhere, and so doing its work even
more terribly than when it shows itself in
more shocking outward forms. The speaker
named among the more dangerous and more
unnoticed agencies for promoting the social
vice. first the public school, with its inevita-
BILE mingling Of the pure and impure, where
evil influences are as rife as fungi in
swamp. The white cross work is especially
needed here. Second, the novel, against
which we do not nowadays here the protest
| that we ought. Pure fiction does not consti-
| tute the bulk of that published. Third, the
10 m pnO which ie
the close ally of impure fiction. The eyes Of
| journalism are turned into every corner. Alas,
| that its wonderful acumen is so largely en-
| ployed to discover that which is poisonous
Fourth, art in painting, sculpture and music,
| which may and often does disseminate I'M
pure suggestions in the mest dangerous way
| of all It is a shame, said the speaker, that
society makes such a difference in its treat
| ment of men and women, and that laws help to
the conception of marriage as nothing more
| or less than a mere contract, which can be
| dissolved at the pleasure of the parties.
/ Among many foreigners freedom seems
| identical with license, and they Will be eager
| to avail themselves of any license. Filth,
| the saloon is another exceedingly fruitful
| seed bed for the germs of impurity.. The
| church must do more than merely avoid and
| hold its skirts from contamination. we
must make an aggressive as well as defen-
sive warfare. The church must teach
In outside fields that the church cannot
| reach, the white cross work can do much and
/ should be pushed.
President Angel, of Michigan University,
| presided at the. afternoon session, ana intro
duced lex-President McCosh of Princeton
College, who read a paper on The Church IN
| its Relation to Capital, and the Labor Ques-
tion." Life" he said, sis struggle torex,
| istence The contest between capital and
| Christ declined to judge in the strife about
| property The church and the State are dis
| tinct and neither should usurp the function
of the other. Man has right to property
in land and merchandise, and the State is tt
| protect human rights. 1t has been unjustly
| charged that the Church is not friend tt
the Door. Facts show her to be their bes
friend. The bulk OF her membership is o.
the middle class. 49,
If the lower classes are elevated, IL VIII Dt
| by themselves and not by those above them
| Tt is our duty to go to the working men, ant
approach them respectfully and not Will
patronzing condescension. Pastoral and
eyangelistc work is demanded. Minister
now overlook this:
President John Eaton, of Marietta College
Ohio, late United States commissioner o.
education, read a paper on "llliteracy,' Il
the course of which he said that illiteracy i
a measure of ignorance and sign OF dark
ness, an invitation to fraud, and cover 2
iniquity. Illiteracy is hostile to mans wei
fare, binders industry of prosperity, OBJ
structs virtue and imperils piety.l
Hon. Seth Low of Brooklyn followed. III,
smoke on the same topic, but limited himsel
to the special department of organized capl
tai and labor. Every citizen" he said, u
a yorer, and everyone can see that the indi
vidual counts for much in the shaping 0
public action. But in business matters tn
Individual is steadily becoming of less ac
count. Corporation and trades unio
absorb him These tendencies bot
help, help and are necessary to each Other
The seeming antagonism, between capita Ian
labor is a manifestation.of the same forct
The managers of corporations, as well a
those of labor organizations, have ridde
rough shod over the rights of minority an
individual. The church should be fearles
in protesting in the style of Nathan, whe
he dared to say to King David, "Thou al
! the man."